5 Weird Modern Day Military Weapons

Since the days of our early ancestors, mankind has been gradually improving on ways to hurt and kill each other. In the age of technology, the ability to inflict damage on other people has reached new heights and militaries around the world have developed or are in the process of developing a wide array of weird and often frightening new weapons for the 21st century.

1. The Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System

The Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System or SWORDS are Talon robots first used in the detection and removal of explosives that have been modified with mounted weapons. The SWORDS are radio controlled and can be equipped with machine guns, rifles, grenade launchers and anti-tank rocket launchers. With armed robots already in use in Iraq, some predict this is the dawn of a new era of warfare and it’s only a matter of time before armed robot units make up the bulk of the modern army, and maybe even start thinking for themselves.

2. Electromagnetic Personnel Interdiction Control

The Electromagnetic Personnel Interdiction Control or EPIC for short is being developed by the US Navy as a non lethal weapon. It omits intense radio-frequency emissions that can penetrate walls and disrupts the functions of the targets inner ears, which effects their balance and coordination and gives them a bad case of motion sickness. The weapon is designed to subdue an enemy without too much damage to them, though it could get a bit messy.

3. The Silent Guardian

Another weapon designed by the US military to defeat an enemy without harming them is The Silent Guardian. The weapon is a 95GHz millimetre wave “active denial system” and has a range of 500 meters. It can be used for individual targets or crowds and heats the skin of the target to a temperature of 50 degrees centigrade which is comparable to the blast from a very hot oven; the heat repels the crowd or person, forcing them to retreat to cover. When the target moves out of range of the beam, the burning sensation stops and no damage is caused.

4. The Air Born Laser

The Air Born Laser or ABL weapon system is currently under development and will use a high-energy, chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted on a modified 747-400F (freighter) aircraft primarily to shoot down ballistic missiles. The idea is that jets will patrol friendly areas at high altitudes of around 40,000 feet and scout for missiles as they are launched. The ABL system will then relay information to a computer which will calculate its course and direction before another laser with weapons class strength will destroy the missile over the launch area.

5. High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program

The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program or HAARP is a project that affects weather systems which, according to some scientists, is being developed in part at least, to be used as a weapon. HAARP will be able to enhance and prolong storms and divert Vapour Rivers in the Earth’s atmosphere to cause floods or drought on specific targets. Some even claim the weapon can cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and some believe this has already happened. When describing the earthquake that hit Tangshan in China on July 28, 1976, and killed over 650,000 people, the New York Times reported that witnesses stated that just before the first tremor the sky lit up as bright as the day in white an red lights. Plant life in the area was burned to a crisp, scorched on one side as if by a fireball. This has led some so called conspiracy theorists to speculate that ‘weather weapons’ are already in use, and have been for some time.

INCREDIBLE MODERN WEAPONS

In this article you will discover weapons that would only have been in the science fiction movies and books of past years. Yet, now on the scene are terrible, scary and frightening weapons that show that we are truly in the last days.
The material in this article is taken from web sites, books, and magazines. As a matter of fact there are so many sources that this article cannot fully do justice to this subject. However we will do our best to at least give you some idea of just how far man has come in this area of making and inventing the INCREDIBLE MODERN WEAPONS of today.
ELECTRONIC SPY FLY - SMALL MACHINE FLY that can literally fly and look like a bug, yet lets the controller know what is happening. Also there are COCKROACHES that can be used as spies. Scientists are developing a remote-controlled cockroach that can carry a tiny camera and microphone for spying missions with a microchip surgically implanted in its back and electrodes connected to its brain, scientists can make the cockroach turn left, right, crawl forward or leap backwards.
CONCRETE SUBMARINES - C-subs will fight differently. Conventional submarines prowl the seas. On a typical patrol, a C-sub will sink offshore, waiting for enemy ships to pass overhead. Then it will fire vertical-launch torpedoes. Because concrete is strong in compression, C-subs could sink well below the 1800-ft. "crush depth" for steel, according to the British Ministry of Defense (MOD). And on sonar displays, the concrete will be hard to distinguish from a sandy sea bottom.
DAISY CUTTER BOMB - The 15,000-pound BLU-82 - nicknamed "daisy-cutter" because of the shape of its tremendous impact - is believed to be the world's largest non-nuclear bomb. Filled with a slurry of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder to ignite a blast, the bomb incinerates everything within up to 600 yards, costs about $27,000 and is about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.
ELECTRONIC BOMB - Tested in Sweden. This devise literally melts and disables any electronic circuitry within its range. The bomb can activate and no one knows that it is there. A very devastating kind of weapon.
ELECTRO MAGNETIC RAIL GUN - travels at the speed of 6 kilometers per second) (can travel a total of 250 kilometers) 10 times farther than conventional cannons. Eventually they want to develop this to travel up to the speed of light. They also want to install this weapon in fighter planes.
MIND CONTROL - Artificial telepathy. Machines have been developed that can literally (from a distance) control a person's mind.
NEUTRON BOMB - In a suit case. The United States government has been concerned about these bombs ending up in terrorist's hands. These bombs destroy only living animals (people included).
X-RAY MACHINES - A police officer can aim the hand-held unit into a crowd up to 90 feet away. The device can even be used outside a room to scan individuals inside.

WEATHER CHANGES - HAARP - Electro magnetic weather weapons can cause Earthquakes & volcanoes. (The electronics genius, Dr. Tesla bragged about being able to use his technology to "split the earth in half" and in producing a "death beam" of unimaginable magnitude. This weapon can also cause, Snow-Hail-Tornadoes & Tidal waves. Rainfall that produces flooding. "Climate Changes that could devastate an enemy nation's agriculture" -- one of the devastating actions that a UN Treaty outlaws is damage to the "biota" of a nation. The word, "biota" refers to the "animal and plant life of a particular region considered as a total ecological entity". [Dictionary] In other words, these Weather Control capabilities can wipe out an entire ecological system?! This revelation is astounding! If the goal of the scientists wielding these weather weapons, is to totally annihilate a civilization, they can easily do so, it appears!
The June 5, 1977, New York Times described the great earthquake which destroyed Tangshan, China on July 28, 1976, and killed over 650,000 people.

"Just before the first tremor at 3:42 am, the sky lit up like daylight. The multi-hued lights, mainly white and red, were seen up to 200 miles away. Leaves on many trees were burned to a crisp and growing vegetables were scorched on one side, as if by a fireball."

SMART - Criminal justice is really going high-tech these days. A new satellite system will enable authorities to monitor and track lawbreakers continuously and constantly.
ACOUSTIC PSYCHO-CORRECTION - The Russians claimed that this device involves "the transmission of specific commands via static or white noise bands into the human subconscious without upsetting other intellectual functions." Experts said that demonstrations of this equipment have shown "encouraging" results "after exposure of less than one minute," and has produced "the ability to alter behavior on willing and unwilling subjects."
UNMANNED GLOBAL REACH - Recently an unmanned autonomous aircraft, the Global Hawk, flew 8,600 miles from Edwards Air Force base in California to Australia. This flight was not remotely controlled. It was autonomous. The aircraft taxied out, took off, flew its proper course and landed unassisted by a human operator. A few weeks later it returned the same way. Now it's operating over Afghanistan.
FIREPOWER! - One B2 bomber can presently hit 16 independent targets on a single mission. That's nothing short of amazing. Soon, due to smaller munitions, that figure will be 80. Yet even smaller, more accurate bombs will soon follow those, allowing a single B2 to carry 324 bombs. The operational fleet of 18 B2's will be able to carry 5,824 individually targeted weapons!
MICROWAVE BEAM - Tests of a controversial weapon that is designed to heat people's skin with a microwave beam have shown that it can disperse crowds. The 3-millimetre wavelength radiation penetrates only 0.3 millimetres into the skin, rapidly heating the surface above the 45 øC pain threshold. At 50 øC, they say the pain reflex makes people pull away automatically in less than a second - it's said to feel like fleetingly touching a hot light bulb. Someone would have to stay in the beam for 250 seconds before it burnt the skin, the lab says, giving "ample margin between intolerable pain and causing a burn".
ROBOTS - Coming to a military theater near you: the "robo lobster." The eight-legged underwater robot, loaded with sensors that can see and even smell, will be used to find landmines buried along potentially dangerous coasts. Also on deck is a sister system, dubbed the robo crab, an electronic crustacean that will climb up on the beach and beam back images of what soldiers would encounter when they venture onshore. On dry land, the Army is making strides with vehicles that could provide surveillance or supply troops with ammunition. Some could even put up a smoke screen and throw a net over the approaching enemy. Military planners see such vehicles, which vary in size from slightly smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle to as big as a tank, as a critical part of efforts to transform the Army into a fleet-footed force that can quickly be deployed to a battle zone.
ROBOT SUBS - Already, smart unmanned subs are set to replace dolphins as undersea mine sniffers. Next tech: mine detonation, remote sleuthing and robotic combat. Nearly undetectable - they operate fully submerged and have low acoustic and magnetic signatures -- they could be sent ahead to conduct surveillance or prepare for an invasion without tipping off enemy forces. They can be small enough to be launched from almost any ship, sub or aircraft -- some are even light enough to be Fed Exed -- and thus can conduct missions in water too shallow for conventional craft. They can be produced relatively inexpensively, so they wouldn't need to be recovered in dangerous or inconvenient circumstances. They would act as "force multipliers", taking care of programmable tasks and freeing up manned warships to take on more complex ones. And they could be sent on the riskiest missions.
MILITARY ROBOTS PREPARE TO MARCH INTO BATTLE - The Army has been in contract for years to develop robots that will be able to make the military a stronger, faster, more efficient fighting force. Sentinel robots that would be stationed inside or outside buildings. Equipped with heat, motion, chemical, biological, or sound sensors, or a combination thereof, they could make the dozing guard a relic of the past.
DEATH RAY - The background to the development of anti-personnel ELECTROMAGNETIC WEAPONS can be traced by to the early-middle 1940's and possibly earlier. The earliest extant reference was contained in the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific Survey, Military Analysis Division, Volume 63) which reviewed Japanese research and development efforts on a "Death Ray." Whilst not reaching the stage of practical application, research was considered sufficiently promising to warrant the expenditure of Yen 2 million during the years 1940-1945. Summarizing the Japanese efforts, allied scientists concluded that a ray apparatus might be developed that could kill unshielded human beings at a distance of 5 to 10 miles. Studies demonstrated that, for example, automobile engines could be stopped by tuned waves as early as 1943.
PHASERS ON STUN - if snipers are in a building, they have a radar system that can look through walls and spot them. And the laser rifle with its dual power setting -- one for "stun" and the other for kill.
AIRCRAFT - High-power lasers disorient enemy pilots and disable cockpit displays. The ABL weapon system will use a high-energy, chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted on a modified 747-400F (freighter) aircraft to shoot down theater ballistic missiles in their boost phase. A crew of four, including pilot and copilot, will operate the airborne laser, which will patrol in pairs at high altitude, about 40,000 feet. The jets will fly in orbits over friendly territory, scanning the horizon for the plumes of rising missiles.
TROOPS - Sound generator produces noise to the pain level. Red and blue strobe lights nauseate unfriendly crowds. Hideously awful smells immobilize troops.
TANKS - High-powered microwaves fuse radios and destroy electronic guidance systems of artillery shells. Electromagnetic pulse zaps radios, computers and lighting circuits.
TRUCKS - Microbes eat engine hoses, belts, electrical insulation. "Pyrophoric" particles burn out engines when drawn into air intakes; "slick'em" and "stick'em" sprays make roads impassable. Compounds turn diesel fuel and gasoline into jelly.
EAR-BLASTING ANTI-HIJACK GUN - "It shoots out a pulse of sound that's almost like a bullet," "It's over 140 decibels for a second or two." Sounds become painful between 120 to 130 decibels. Knocked down. To test the system, a man created a cut-down version and turned it on himself. "It almost knocked me on my butt. I wasn't interested in anything for quite a while afterwards," he says. "You could virtually knock a cow on its back with this." "This would be extremely painful and uncomfortable and you would probably lose your hearing for a few hours."
DEVASTATING ELECTRONIC BOMBS - The high-power microwave (HPM) bomb is stored in a briefcase and emits short, high-energy pulses reaching 10 gigawatts -- equal to 10 nuclear reactors. It has a range of a dozen meters, and larger models stored in vans can reach as far as a few hundred meters. The target can be destroyed without alerting anyone. This silent weapon -- which does not explode -- can have disastrous effects, especially if it falls into the hands of terrorists. The bomb presents a threat to jet fighters. It can also knock out the electronic systems of nuclear or electric power plants, banks, trains, or even a simple telephone switchboard. The bomb has also been developed into a pistol which can be used to knock out a single computer or vehicle.
BUNKER BUSTER BOMB - is a special weapon developed for penetrating hardened command centers located deep underground. The GBU-28 is a 5,000-pound laser-guided conventional munition that uses a 4,400-pound penetrating warhead. The bombs are modified Army artillery tubes, weigh 4,637 pounds, and contain 630 pounds of high explosives.
GENETIC BIOWEAPONS - Unlike conventional biological weapons that kill by disabling the nervous system, The genetic weapons would work subtly, and for this reason could strike undetected. Genetically, target agents could affect the birthrates of a population, infant mortality rates, disease proclivity or even crop production." "It might take decades to realize an attack has even occurred. By that point, a population of people might be seriously diminished.
GERM WARFARE - Both private firms and the military have used unknowing human populations to test various theories. During the last 30 years, Cuba has been subjected to an enormous number of outbreaks of human and crop diseases which are difficult to attribute purely natural causes.
LASER OF DEATH - Laser gun zaps missile. During the test of the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL), it tracked a Katyusha rocket with its radar and then destroyed it with its high-powered laser beam. THEL's defensive capabilities proves that directed energy weapon systems have the potential to play a significant role in defending US national security interests world-wide," said Lieutenant General John Costello. The laser is a potentially potent weapon as the beam travels literally at the speed of light and can cross great distances with minimal loss of intensity. Such a beam could knock out targets at distances ranging from tens of kilometres to, in theory, thousands of kilometres. Lasers were behind the space-based missile defence shield idea, labelled "Star Wars", first suggested by US President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
ANTI-GRAVITY PROJECT - Secret anti-gravity experiments that could revolutionize the conventional aerospace industry and lead to "free energy" are underway in Seattle. The project at Boeing's Phantom Works advanced research and development facility is now trying to solicit the services of a Russian scientist who claims to have developed anti-gravity devices in Russia and Finland. It has its own code name of "GRASP," for Gravity Research for Advanced Space Propulsion. Boeing says such uses could include space-launch systems, artificial gravity on spacecraft, aircraft propulsion and electricity generation without fuel - so-called "free energy". Additionally, there's a military potential as Podkletnov's work could be engineered into a stunning new weapon, capable of vaporizing objects moving at high speed. A device called an "impulse gravity generator" is capable of producing a beam of gravity-like energy that can exert an instantaneous force of 1,000-G on any object.
MORE WAR, MORE DEAD - Wars and battles, skirmishes and ambushes -- fighting rages day and night through cease-fires and truce talks around the world. It happens on Belfast's streets, along Iran's and Iraq's 1,000-mile front, in Central America's mountainous jungles. And it won't stop just because Pope John Paul II declared "World Peace Day" and called on everyone with a weapon to put it down. "It's going to get worse before it gets better" said Richard Staar, international studies director at the Hoover Institution of War, Revolution and Peace in Pal Alto, Calif. "There are more wars with more people killed all over the world than 10 years ago." True, it's been years since the world's major powers last bombed and shelled each other, but on any day soldiers are firing in 30 to 40 nations. Wars of liberation. Territorial disputes. Religious principles "One man's freedom fighter is another's terrorist," the saying goes, but the common denominator is death. The Center for Defense Information estimates the number killed since the early 1970's...is 7.1 million. "Body counts" vary, but most participants agree peace is unlikely. The bottom line: 1.56 billion -- one in three of the world's 4.84 billion people -- live in lands enduring armed conflict. Ahead? Staar says: "Regional conflict will increase."
My friend, in this world of insecurity where a person never knows what might happen next. Are you ready to die? Are you one hundred percent sure that if you did die you would go to heaven? If not then please look at the link below and make sure.

Modern Warfare 2 weapons

Primary
Secondary
Other

Special purpose small arms ammunition of USSR and Russia.

SP-3 and PZAM silenced pistol ammunition

During the postwar period, there was much development in the field of the small arms ammunition. Soviet Union actively participated in these developments, following both mainstream and some more or less unconventional routes. The mainstream developments are well known and included 7.62x39 M43 and 5.45x39 M74 intermediate ammunition for assault rifles, as well as 9x18 ammunition for pistols. Of cause, there was much more development in these lines that it might appear at the first sight, but for now we will focus on rather more interesting types of ammunition.
During the post-war decades both USSR and its major rivals from NATO were deeply engaged in espionage and counter-espionage. These activities sometimes called for very special actions, usually described by typical Russian euphemism as “wet deeds”, or, in plain language, murders. These clandestine operations required some very special weapons, and during early 1950s the designer Igor Ya. Stechkin (better known as an author of the 9mm APS Stechkin automatic pistol), developed a very special weapon for KGB. Externally this weapon looked much like flat tin cigarette case, but internally it held three short barrels and a trigger unit. The intended use of this weapon was obvious, but the necessary compact size effectively prohibited the use of a standard silencer. As a result, Stechkin developed a special type of ammunition, which required no silencer to be fired silently. The major source of the sound of gunshot is the large volume of hot gases, violently expanding from the muzzle and creating a sound wave. Stechkin avoided this problem by encapsulating the blast of the propellant within the cartridge case. First experiments were conducted using standard 9x18 cases, but the ammunition, designated SP-1 (Spetsialnyj Patron 1 – special cartridge 1), never achieved production status. The SP-2 ammunition, which was the first to be produced in any quantity, has been based on 7.62x39 case, slightly shortened and fitted with round-nose 7.62mm bullet with aluminum core extended back into the case to rest on the internal piston. Internally this cartridge contained a small charge of propellant behind a short piston, which propelled the bullet out of the case when fired and then locked the hot powder gases inside the case. The resulting sound was almost non-existent, and the cartridge has been adopted by KGB for clandestine operations. To improve performance and somewhat confuse possible investigators, the round-nose bullet has been later replaced by standard pointed 7.62mm bullet originally used in 7.62x39 M43 ammunition. Earlies development centered on a large steel case with single-stage piston and internal firing pin, located in the base in attempt to keep high pgas pressures within the case after the discharge.  This design was known as 7.62x63 PZ cartridge, which later evolved into PZA and PZAM cartridges of the basically same dimensions. This ammunition was in use since mid-1960s in S4M silent pistol. Later on, another cartridge cartridge, designated as 7.62x38 SP-3, has been developed and put in use during early 1970s, along with MSP two-barreled derringer type pistol and NRS scout shooting knife. The SP-3 featured much shorter case, because it used more compact two-stage piston system and more or less standard primers, securely crimped into the base of the cartridge. The performance of the SP-3 was about 25% less (in terms of muzzle energy) than of PZAM, but it was considered sufficient for its intended use in deep concealment last-ditch weapons used by Soviet secret intellegence agents outside of USSR.

cartridge	metric designation	bullet weight	muzzle velocity	muzzle energy
PZAM	7.62x63	8 g / 123 grain	~ 175 m/s / 570 fps	122 J / 90 ft-lbs
SP-3	7,62x38	8 g / 123 grain	~ 150 m/s / 490 fps	90 J / 66 ft-lbs

loaded 7.62mm PZA silent cartridge and fired case (note projecting piston)

loaded 7.62mm PZAM silent cartridge and fired case (note projecting piston and slightly bottlenecked cartridge) loaded into steel clip, as used for S4M pistol

7.62mm SP-3 cartridge and spent SP-3 case and bullet, loaded into steel clip used for MSP pistol Note that piston is of two-stage telescoped design

SP-4 silenced ammunition

The key problem with the SP-3 and PZAM ammo were their telescoped pistons, which projected significantly from fired cases and thus made almost impossible to develop the semi-automatic weapons for these cartridges. During late 1970s and early 1980s Soviet designers solved this problem by developing the 7.62x42 SP-4 ammunition, which used the same basic principle. The telescoped two-stage piston has been replaced by single-stage piston, which did not projected from the case when fired; the standard 7.62mm M43 bullet has been replaced by the cylindrical bullet, made of mild steel, and fitted with a brass driving band at the front. This cartridge has been adopted circa 1983 by KGB and Spetsnaz elements of the Soviet Army, along with six-shot, magazine fed, blowback operated semiautomatic PSS pistol and single-shot NRS-1 scout shooting knife. The SP-4 ammunition and PSS pistols are still in use by elite Spetsnaz units within Russian armed forces, as well as by some FSB and MVD elite units. Apparently, the earlier MSP pistol with SP-3 ammo and S4M pistol with PZAM ammo were not phased out of service and still can be encountered in the hands of serious operators, who not require multi-shot capabilities of PSS / SP-4 system. cartridge metric designation bullet weight  muzzle velocity SP-4 7.62x41 9,3 g / 143 grain 200 m/s / 655 fps

7.62mm SP-4 silent cartridge (left) compared to 9x19 Parabellum cartridge (right)

SP-5 and SP-6 subsonic assault rifle ammunition

Next line of development, also initiated by Spetsnaz requirements, also involved silenced weapons, but in more powerful form. Since the effective range of silenced pistols is severely limited, scout and Spetsnaz elements of the Soviet army originally employed AK and AKM rifles, fitted with detachable sound suppressors (silencers) and loaded with special versions of 7.62x39 M43 ammo, known as 7.62x39 US (Umenshennaya Skorost – Low velocity). To achieve subsonic velocity along with acceptable ballistics, these cartridges were loaded with heavier bullets, but its performance was still inadequate. So, during the late 1980s, soviet designers developed improved sub-sonic ammunition, suitable for specially designed automatic weapons. These cartridges, known as SP-5 and SP-6, were based on a 7.62x39 M43 case, necked-out to 9mm, and loaded with heavy, streamlined bullets. The SP-5 cartridge was loaded with standard “ball” bullet with lead core, and was intended for accurate sniper work out to 300-400 meters. The SP-6 cartridge featured an armour-piercing bullet with hardened steel core, which could defeat typical military type body armour at the ranges of up to 300-400 meters. Two weapons were initially developed for this ammunition, both based on the same receiver and gas operated action – VSS sniper rifle and AS assault rifle. Both weapons were selective fired, with integral sound suppressors, and used same magazines with 10- or 20-round capacity. Latter on, several more weapons were developed for 9x39 ammunition, such as SR-3 and 9A-91 compact assault rifles, used by elite Internal Affairs Ministry, Police and State Security units. The one problem, associated with 9x39, as well as with most other special purpose cartridges, is that such ammunition is usually quite expensive. An attempt was made during late 1990s to produce much cheaper 9x39 AP loading, designated as PAB-9. This cartridge featured bullets with stamped (instead of machined) steel cores, as well as increased driving surfaces. As a result, accuracy was poor and barrel wear significantly increased, so this ammunition is apparently no longer in use. cartridge metric designation bullet weight  muzzle velocity 7.62 US 7,62x39 12,5 g / 193 grain 290 m/s / 950 fps СП-5 9x39 16,8 g / 260 grain 280 m/s / 920 fps СП-6 9x39 16 g / 247 grain 280 m/s / 920 fps

left to right: SP-5 ball cartridge case and bullet; SP-6 AP dummy cartridge, and 7.62x39 M43 cartridge for scale

SP-10 armor piercing pistol ammunition

This development leads us back to pistol ammunition, but this time with improved penetration capabilities rather than stealth. The proliferation of body armor rendered most military pistols, with its ammunition being about 100 years old, almost obsolete. The one way to deal with body armor is to adopt smaller-caliber, high velocity bullets for both pistols and submachine guns. This gives additional benefit of flatter trajectory and lessened recoil, both beneficial for accuracy. At the minus side, the terminal performance of the small-caliber, light weight bullets is somewhat questionable. After initial test and research, conducted since late 1980s under the codename “Grach”, Russian armed forces adopted an improved version of the world’s most popular pistol ammo, the 9x19 Parabellum. First produced circa 1994, this version of the 9mm features an armor piercing bullet of proprietary design, and a powerful powder charge, which brings this cartridge, officially designated as 7N21, to the +P+ level, with peak pressures running up to 2 800 kg per square meter. Armor piercing bullet for 7N21 ammo features a hardened steel penetrator core, enclosed into bimetallic jacket. The space between the core and jacked is filled with polyethylene, and the tip of the penetrator is exposed at the front of the bullet, to achieve better penetration. Bullet of the similar design, but of lighter weight, is used in another service 9x19 cartridge, 7N31, which has been developed in late 1990s for the GSh-18 pistol, and latter was adopted for PP-2000 submachine gun. Another offspring of the ”Grach” trials is the 9x21 family of ammunition. Adopted by the Federal Security Bureau (FSB) of Russian Federation, this cartridge in its basic form, known as SP-10, is more or less a stretched-out 7N21 cartridge with improved performance; 9x21 ammo also available in AP-T (tracer) and SP-11 low-ricochet ball (with lead core) bullets. This ammo is used in SPS “Gyrza” pistol and in SR-2 “Veresk” submachine gun. cartridge metric designation bullet weight  muzzle velocity 7N21 9x19 5.3 g / 82 grain 460 m/s / 1508 fps 7N31 9x19 4.2 g / 65 grain 600 m/s / 1967 fps 7N28 / SP-11 9x21 7.9 g / 122 grain 390 m/s / 1278 fps 7N29 / SP-10 9x21 6.7 g / 103 grain 430 m/s / 1410 fps

9mm SP-10 AP cartridge (right) compared to 9x19 Parabellum cartridge (left)

Underwater pistol and rifle ammunition

Next line of development, almost unique to the Soviet armed forces, is the underwater firearms and ammunition for these. Initially developed during late sixties, underwater cartridges propelled the long and slim drag-stabilized bullets, and were used in four-barreled SPP-1 break-open pistols. To achieve better loading and extraction, the bottlenecked brass cartridges were rimmed and loaded using special flat clips, which held all four rounds together. Both primer pockets and case necks were sealed against the water, and the steel bullets were covered by special lacquer coating. Initially satisfied with the pistol, Special Forces elements of the Soviet Navy requested further development and by the mid-1970s soviet designers brought in an unique underwater assault rifle, the APS (which, in fact, was a smoothbore weapon). This weapon used cartridges, externally similar to earlier SPS pistol ammunition, but based on the standard 5.45x39 M74 cases. This “rifle” ammunition is available in two basic forms, MPS “ball” and MPST “tracer”. Both APS underwater automatic weapon and SPP-1M underwater pistol are still in use by Russian navy, as well as offered for export. cartridge metric designation bullet weight  muzzle velocity SPS 4.5x40R 13.2 g / 204 grain 250 m/s / 820 fps MPS 5.66x39 15 g / 232 grain 360 m/s / 1180 fps Note: for underwater cartridges muzzle velocities listed in air; in the water, MV depends on the actual depth

underwater cartridges, left to right:
7.62x39 M43 cartridge for scale;
4.5mm SPS cartridge case and bullet;
4.5mm SPS dummy cartridge;
5.66mm MPS dummy cartridge 

Small-caliber pistol ammunition

The last development, which could be considered as a “special purpose”, took the place during 1970 – 1972 timeframe, when the KGB requested the development of an “easily concealable pocket pistol, with flat shape and not thicker than a matchbox (17mm)”. This pistol was intended as a concealed carry weapon for security personnel, as well as self-defense weapon for top ranked officials. After a short research designers rejected available western “pocket-gun” ammunition, such as 6.35x16SR and 7.65x17SR, as entirely unsatisfactory, and rapidly developed a small round, which looked more or less like scaled down 7.62x39 M43 cartridge. The 5.45x18 MPTs cartridge had a rimless bottlenecked case, made of brass, with pointed jacketed bullet. The terminal performance of this tiny cartridge is rather unspectacular, but it has a reputation for penetrating soft body armor at shorter distances. However, it is by no means an “armor piercing” ammunition, and the latter attempts to use it for larger PDW-type weapons such as full-size OTs-23 “Drotik” automatic pistol, turned into a predictable failure. Still, the extremely compact and quite reliable 5.45x18 PSM pistol is widely used as a self-defense weapon for Army and MVD generals, as well as by various law enforcement operatives, working under cover. cartridge metric designation bullet weight  muzzle velocity 7N7 / 5.45mm MPTs 5.45x17 2.5 g / 39 grain 320 m/s / 1050 fps

Ammunition (cartridges, shotshells) for tactical shotguns

Shotguns are widely used for hunting various game, for sport, as well as for a variety of military, police, security and civilian home defense purposes. Actual spectrum of shotgun ammunition produced worldwide is extremely broad, although actual number of calibers (gauges) is quite limited.
Shotgun caliber (gauge) is an old measure that lists a number of full-bore lead ball projectiles that can be made for a specified bore from a pound (454 gram) of lead. therefore, the smaller the gauge number, the larger the bore diameter, and vice versa. Today, the most common shotgun gauge in the world is 12 (bore diameter about 18 - 18.5 mm), with 20 and 16 running for 2nd and 3rd places. Bigger bore gauges (10, 8) is seldom used for anything but hunting, although one Russian police / anti-riot weapon fires 4 gauge (23mm) shotshells. Smaller bores (28, 32, .410) also seldomly used for anything but hunting or sport. In police / security / military shotguns, the 12 gauge is the king of the game.
Shotgun shells in the same gauge also can differ by material (plastic with brass base, paper with brass base or all-brass, the latter two gradually sliding into obsolescense), and by shell length (uncrimped), which usually equals to chamber length. Today, the most common chamber / shell lengths in 12 and 20 gsuge are 70mm / 2 3/4" and 76mm / 3" (also known as 12 / 20 gauge Magnum). Older guns may have 67 mm chambers, and some newer hunting guns may have 89 mm / 3 1/2" "Super-Magnum" chambers. Most modern tactical shotguns usually feature 76mm / 3" magnum chambers and proofed to fire "Magnum" loads, but also can safely fire shorter, standard shells.
Typical load for shotgun shell is shot (number of small ead balls), buckshot (larger lead balls, usually above 5mm in diameter), full-bore slugs made of various materials (lead, frangible metallic alloys, rubber or soft plastic for less-lethal applications), or sub-caliber slugs (usually made from lead, brass or hardened steel for LE / Military applications).
Most typical loading for use against human targets is a buckshot, with load consisting of several round lead balls 6-9mm in diameter, with about 5 to 27 ball pellets to the shell, depending on the buckshot size, gauge and shell lenght. Effective range for buckshot rounds is about 20-25 meters, although single pellets can cause serious body damage beyond this range. Lead slugs can be fired with good accuracy at ranges up to 50-70 meters, and are lethal against human targets at bigger distances. Effective range for less-lethal rounds depend on the type of projectile (single slug or multiple rubber balls, material, etc) but usually varies from 5-10 meters (minimum safe distance) and up to 20-25 meters.
 

Typical modern 12 gauge shotgun shell with translucent plastic hull and brass base, loaded with 8 "00" size buckshot pellets

Most common buckshot sizes and weights

Buckshot size	Nominal pellet diameter	Pellet weight
0000	.38" / 9.7 mm	87 grain / 5.67 g
000	.36 / 9.1 mm	73 grain / 4.7 gram
00	.33" / 8.4 mm	55 grain / 3.5 gram
0	.32" / 8.1 mm	49 grain / 3.15 gram
1	.30" / 7.6 mm	44 grain / 2.8 gram
2	.27" / 6.9 mm	29 grain / 1.9 gram
3	.25 / 6.4 mm	24 grain / 1.6 gram
4	.24" / 6 mm	16 grain / 1 gram

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12 gauge shotgun ammunition

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below are just few of the myriads of shotgun loads in 12 gauge made worldwide, to give an idea of the power of typical shotgun loadings.

Designation	Load weight	Muzzle velocity	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
70mm, slug	1.25 oz / 35.4 g	1500 fps / 458 m/s	3 700	standard load, Remington
76mm, slug	1.375 oz/ 38.9 g	1500 fps / 458 m/s	4 080	Magnum load, Remington
70mm, 00 buckshot	1.5 oz / 42.5 g	1290 fps / 393 m/s	3 290	standard load (12 pellets), Remington
76mm, 00 buckshot	1.875 oz / 53 g	1225 fps / 373 m/s	3 710	Magnum load (15 pellets), Remington
70mm, "Reduced recoil" 00 buckshot	1 oz / 28.3 g	1200 fps / 366 m/s	1 900	Tactical reduced recoil load (8 pellets), Remington
70mm, "TAC-8" 00 buckshot	1 oz / 28.3 g	1325 fps / 404 m/s	2 315	Police / tactical load (8 pellets), Remington

Large caliber ammunition (cartridges) for heavy machine guns and anti-material sniper rifles

.408 Chey-tac / 10.4x77

.408 Chey-tac is a relatively new cartridge, purpose-designed for long-range sniper and anti-material work. It provides effective range close to 2 000 meters, and can be used against human and material targets alike. The only weapons to fire this ammunition are specially built precision rifles, usually bolt-action repeaters (although one or two semi-automatics also exist in this caliber). This cartridge is in limited use with elite counter-terrorism and VIP protection units in several countries across the world.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	19.76	1 067	11 260
	27.15	915	11 365

.416 Barrett / 10.5x83

.416 Barret is a proprietary cartridge, designed by Ronnie Barrett (of the Barrett rifles fame) to circumvent California state laws that prohibit citizens from owning long range target rifles chambered to .50 BMG ammunition. The .416 Barrett is based on the .50BMG case shortened and necked down, loaded with low-drag precision made bullets. So far it asw no noticeable military or special operations use, although it has significant potential for very long range (up to 2 000 meters or even further) sniper work.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	25.9	990	12 730

.460 Steyr

This cartridge is also based on the .50 BMG case shortened and necked down. It was developed in Austria to provide extra-long range capabilitues for target and tactical shooters. So far no reports emerged on its service use, although the cartridge shows significant potential in its niche, with possible effective range extending up to 2 200 - 2 400 meters.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	34	945	15 200

.5 Vickers / 12.7x81 / .5V/565 / 12.7x81SR Breda

The .50 Vickers cartridge emerged in 1921, as a new type of ammunition for heavy machine guns, intended for AA and ant-armor work. It was adopted by British army for use in AA (ground- and naval use) role and in light tanks. In tank use it became obsolete by the middle of WW2, and in Naval AA use it served a bit longer. Version of this cartridge, but with semi-rimmed case, was known as .5 Vicker export or .5V/565, and it was also used by several other European countries for aircraft and ground-based heavy machine guns (hence the alternative designation 12.7mm Breda, as the Italy was a major user of 12.7x81SR ammunition). It was used in a number of a heavy machie guns, mostly of British and Italian origin, and became obsolete soon after WW2.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Mk.IIz	37.6	775	11 280	Early British AP
.5V/565	36.5	760	10 540

.5 Vickers class D / .5 Vickers HV / 12.7x120SR

The .5 Vickers class D ammunition (also known as .5 Vickers High Velocity) was developed in mid-1920s as a more powerful round for AA and anti-armor use. It was used in a limited production Vickers Class D heavy machine guns only, and is obsolete since the end of WW2.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	45	927	19 330

.50 BMG / 12.7x99 Browning Machine Gun

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The .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) cartridge is one of the most sucessfull rounds in its class. Orginnally developed in 1918-1920 as a cartridge for a large caliber AA / anti-armor machine gun, it was standartised by US Army in 1921 along with Browning M1921 heavy machine gun, and is still in active service. It is also widely used in aircrafts during WW2 and Korea, and is still in wide use by various land and naval forces around the world. Most widespread weapon to fire this cartridge is a venerable Browning M2HB machine gun of US origins; few other machine guns were later developed to complement or replace M2HB but none succeeded so far. Since 1980s, the .50BMG also became increasingly popular as a long-range sniping / anti-material round, and several specialised loadings were recently developed for this purpose, such as Mk.211 Mod.0 Multi-purpose round by Raufoss. Another specialized round is SLAP (Saboted Light Armor Penetrator) with sub-caliber .30 / 7.62mm tungsten projectile inside plastic discarded sabot. This round can penetrate about 34mm of steel armor at 500 meters range (90 degree impact angle) and up to 23mm of same steel armor at 1200 meters.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
M2 AP	45.8	857	16 820
M8 API	40.4	888	15 900
M903 SL:AP	23.3	1 220	17 360	Saboted Light Armor Penetrator
Mk.211 Mod.0	43.5	888	17 125	Raufoss Multi-purpose projectile (AP-I-Explosive)

12.7x108

This round was developed in USSR by early 1930s especially for the new heavy machine guns, to be used in ground support and AA roles, and latter also in aircraft armaments. Originally chambered in Soviet DShK-38 heavy machine gun, this cartridge found a wide acceptance in eastern hemisphere, asia and Africa. Machine guns for this round are still manufactured in Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan and a number of other countries. Russia and China also developed several anti-material (sniper) rifles in this caliber. Ammunition in 12.7x108 is also manufactured in many countries around the world, but mostly in Eastern hemisphere.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
B-32	48.3	820	16 240	AP-I bullet with hardened steel core
BS	55.4	820	18 625	AP-I bullet with tungsten carbide core

13.2x95 and 13.2x99 Hotchkiss

This round was developed in France during late 1920s especially for the new heavy machine guns. It was adopted by French army in 1930 along with the Hotchkliss heavy machine gun, and before WW2 it also gained popularity throughout several European countries and in Japan, mostly for AA or aircraft applications. After WW2 its popularity rapidly declined in favour of the American 12.7x99 / .50 BMG round, to which Hothckiss round has more than passing similarity. Today 13.2mm ammunition in both varieties (with 'long' 99mm and 'short' 95mm cases) is completely obsolete. No guns and ammunition in this caliber are made for many years.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
-	52	800	16 640

14.5x114

This formidable cartridge was developed in USSR shortly before WW2 for use in antitant rifles. While those rifles became obsolete by the 1942, it was decided to develop a machine gun firing this ammunition, to use it against low-flying combat aircrafts and variuos lightly armored ground targets. Such weapon was developed in USSR by 1944 but it sook several more years to finalize its design, and it was adopted by Soviet army shortly after WW2. It was (and still is) used as infantry support weapon, AA weapon and also a primary armament of many armored vehicles and personnel carriers (BTR-70, BTR-80). Standard loading for this cartridge is an AP-I (Armor Piercing Incendiary) bullet, with steel or tungsten carbide core. Penetration for such cartridge is usually quoted as 20mm or rolled steel armor at 800 meters at 90 degrees. Other types of bullets also exist, including API-T (tracer), MDZ (Instaneous Incendiary / Explosive, to be used against unarmored aircrafts). For many decates the Vladimirov KPVT was the only weapon in use to fire this cartridge (it was manufactured in USSR and China, and widely used throughout Warsaw pacdt countries and elsewhere). Today this old but formidable weapon is also accompanied by few anti-materiel rifles in this caliber, and a new indegenous Chinese AA machine gun.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
B-32	63.5	990	31 120	AP-I bullet with hardened steel core
BS-41	66	990	32 340	AP-I bullet with tungsten carbide core
BZT	62	990	30 380	AP-I-T bullet

15x106 ZB / Besa

This formidable cartridge was developed in mid-1930s by Skoda factory in Czechoslovakia, for the proposed new heavy machine gun manufactured by ZB factory in Brno. Before the start of Ww2 this heavy machine gun was adopted in UK for tank armament as 15mm besa machine gun, and guns and ammunition in this caliber were manufactured in UK under license throughout first half of the WW2. Before WW2 Czech-made machine guns in this caliber were also exported in limited numbers to Yugoslavia and Iran. Apparently, no guns in this caliber were manufactured after WW2 and today this cartridge is completely obsolete.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	75	895	30 200

Ammunition (cartridges) for rifles and machine guns

6.5x50SR Arisaka

This cartridge was first issued in 1897 along with Arisaka Type 30 rifle, and became the standard ammunition for Japanese armed forces until the end of WW2. Original version of this round was loaded with round-nose bullet, which was later changed to more modern pointed bullet with introduction of the Type 38 Arisaka rifle and Type 38 6.5mm cartridges. It was used in a number of Japanese bolt-action rifles and machine guns. After the WW2, many weapons of ex-japanese origin remained in use in SE-Asia region for a significant period. No modern firearms are produced for this ammunition, and production of this round is all but gone (few ammunition manufacturers still make modern versions of this round for those people who still own old weapons).

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Type 30	10.1	630	2000	with round-nose FMJ bullet, from long rifle ballel
Type 38	9	720	2330	with pointed FMJ bullet, from long rifle ballel

6.5x52 Carcano

This cartridge was designed in Italy in 1890, and was since used in a number of bolt-action rifles and machine guns of Italian manufacture. No new weapons were designed for this round since the end of WW2, and today it is all but obsolete. It is worth of note that, unlike most other similar cartridges, the 6.5 Carcano retained its 'old-style' round-nosed bullet throughout most of its service life.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	10.5	700	2580	with round-nose FMJ bullet

6.5x55 Swedish Mauser

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This cartridge was developed in Sweden for military Mauser rifle in 1894, and was a standard rifle- and machine-gun ammunition of Swedish armed forces until 1960s. Unlike some other similar rounds, the 6.5x55 is still in production as, over the time, it became quite popular as a hunting and target round in several European countries. Originally used in military-type bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles and machine guns, today it is still chambered in a number of modern hunting and target rifles (mostly bolt-action), produced in several European countries (Sweden, Finland, Czech republic etc).

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
m92	10.11	720	2620	with round-nose FMJ bullet
m"	9	800	2890	with pointed FMJ bullet

7x57 Spanish Mauser

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This round was developed in Germany by Mauser factory for their improved rifle in 1892. It was adopted by Spanish army in 1893 along with Mauser bolt-action military rifle, and since then it was also adopted by several other South American countries as well. As a military round, this cartridge gradually became obsolete after WW2, but it is still chambered in several models of hunting rifles and thus it is still manufactured for civilian consumption (mostly loaded with hunting-type rifles).

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	11.2	700	2760	with round-nose FMJ bullet
	9.07	850	3280	with pointed FMJ bullet

7.35x51 Carcano

This round was developed in Italy shortly before the WW2 in an attempt to improve lethality and extend service life of the current, existing infantry weapons, originally chambered for the 6.5x52 Carcano ammunition. The curious 7.35mm caliber was choosen simply as a maximum possible bore diamater that can be safely achieved by boring out and re-rifiling old, worn out 6.5mm barrels. The cartridge cas was based on the 6.5x52 Carcano, slightly shortened and necked out. The service life of the 7.35x51 was rather short, as due to logistical problems Italian army switched back to 6.5mm ammunition during early stages of WW2. This amunition was used in Caracano-type bolt-action rifles and several light machine guns of Italian origin. Today this round is obsolete by all means.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	8.4	756	2400	with pointed FMJ bullet

7.5x54 M1929C

French army set to develop a new, modern rifle- and machine gun round to replace obsolete 8mm Lebel ammunition in early 1920s, and in 1924 it adopted the 7.5x58 M1924 round, which was a close copy of the German 7.92x57 round. The similarity between these two round eventually played dirty trick with French users, as loading very similar 7.92mm round into weapons chambered for 7.5mm rounds caused excsessive chamber pressures, which sometimes resulted in damage to weapon and injury to shooter. To remedy this problem, in 1929 the cartridge case was redesigned and made shorter, so 7.92mm rounds that had cases 57mm long could not be chambered in the new French weapons. After adoption of this round all 7.5mm weapons then in service were rebarreled for this shorter round. The Mle.1929 round was standard issue ammunition for French rifles (bolt action and semi-automatic) and machine guns until 1960s. Very few (if any) commercial weapons were ever chambered for this round, and today it is obsolete for all practical purposes.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Balle C	9	820	3030	with pointed FMJ bullet

7.5x55 GP11

The 7.5mm GP11 round was adopted by Swiss army in 1911 and is still in limited service with Swiss armed forces, in few remaining automatic rifles and some medium / universal machine gun. It was a standard round for Swiss army until about 1990, chambered in bolt-action and automatic rifles, light and medium machine guns and some hunting and target rifles. This ammunition is still manufactured in Switzerland as great many older 7.5mm rifles are still in civilian use there.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
GP11	11.3	780	3430	with pointed FMJ bullet

7.62x51 NATO / .308 Winchester

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This round started its life in early 1950s as a .30 T65, an experimental cartridge for the US Army's 'light rifle' program. The T65 round was intended to replace the older and overly long .30-06 military round, while retaining similar ballistics. In 1955 it was adopted as a NATO standard rifle and machine gun ammunition, and is still used in this role in all NATO countries and many other as well. In mid-1950s it was also introduced as a commercial round by Winchester, and in this guise it is known as .308 Winchester, and is highly sucessful. Many countries still use military weapons in this caliber (mostly machine guns and sniper rifles, as well as some semi-automatic or selective-fire 'battle' rifles). Civilian weapons (hunting, target etc) for .308 Winchester are produced in many countries and in large numbers, and this cartridge (in both civilian and military versions) remains one of the most popular rifle cartridges to date.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
M59 ball	9.7	845	3470	with pointed FMJ bullet
M80 ball	9.5	850	3380	with pointed FMJ bullet
M118 ball	11.15	815	3695	with pointed boat-tailed FMJ bullet, for sniper rifles

7.62x54R

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This cartridge is one of the oldest service cartridges still in military use in the world. Originally adopted by Russian army in 1891, along with bolt-action magazine fed rifle, it still remains in use after almost 120 years of continuous service. Over the time, it was chambered in a number of bolt-action and semi-automatic military rifles, several machine guns, and some civilian-type rifles (mostly hunting ones). Today this cartridge is still widely used by Russian military in machine guns and sniper rifles, and it is quite popular for hunting. Many types of military- and civilian-grade loadings are still produced in this chambering worldwide.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
M1891	13.7	610	2550	with round-nose FMJ bullet
L	9.7	860	3587	with pointed FMJ bullet (M1930 light ball)
D	11.9	795	3760	with pointed boat-tailed FMJ bullet (heavy ball)
B30	11	815	3650	with armor piercing bullet
7N1	9.56	820	3214	with pointed boat-tailed FMJ bullet, for sniper rifles

7.65x53 Argentine / Belgian / Turkish Mauser

This is one of the earliest cartridges, developed for Mauser-type magazine rifles during late 19th century. It was originally adopted by Belgian army in 1889, with round-nose FMJ bullet. Later it was adopted by Turkey and a number of South American countries, most notably Argentine. It was chambered in Mauser-type rifles and certain types of machine guns. Today this cartridge is mostly obsolete, although some manufacturers still produce this cartridge for civilian use.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	14.7	620	2830	with round-nose FMJ bullet
	10	830	3440	with pointed FMJ bullet

.30-06 US / 7.62x63

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This cartridge was born in 1906 as an evolution of the short-living .30-03 cartridge, that was originally adopted by US Army in 1903 with round-nose bullet. The .30 caliber M1906 cartridge, today universally known as .30-06, had slightly different case and, more important, it was loaded with pointed bullet. It served with US armed forces through both world wars and Korean war, and was gradually replaced in service with 7.62x51 NATO since 1957. It is still extremely popular worldwide as a hunting and target round, with new weapons (mostly bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles) and ammnuition being manufactured in many countries and in many styles.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
ball M1	11.15	805	3610	with pointed boattailed FMJ bullet
ball M2	9.7	835	3390	with pointed FMJ bullet
AP M2	10.8	830	3730	with armor-piercing bullet

.300 Winchester Magnum

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This round was developed during 1950s by Winchester in an atempt to provide huntes with flat-shooting, long-range hunting ammunition with significant striking power. Over the time this cartridge also found its way into military and law-enforcement use as a long-range sniping round, with practical ranges up to 1000-1200 meters (as opposed to 700-800 meters with most sommon 7.62x51 / .308 Win ammunition). Many hunting and some sniper rifles are produced for this round in many parts of the world.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	9.72	987	4730	with pointed boattailed FMJ bullet

.303 British / 7.7x57R

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Originally adopted by British army in 1889, this cartridge remained in front-line service throughout British empire (later British Commonwealth) until late 1960s. Many surplus weapons chambered for this cartridge are still in civilian use, and commercial ammunition is still in limited production for those who own those old rifles.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Mk.II	14.6	640	2980	with round-nose FMJ bullet
Mk.VII	11.27	744	3120	with pointed FMJ bullet, from rifle barrel
Mk.VIII	11.27	777	3410	with pointed boat-tailed FMJ bullet, from machine gun

7.7x58SR Type 92

This round was adopted by Japanese army in 1932 (2592 per Japanese calendar then in use) as a dedicated medium machine gun round, to improve machine guns performance compared to earlier weapons, chambered for relatively 'weak' 6.5x50SR ammunition. Only machine guns were manufactured for this round, and no weapons for it were made after the end of WW2. Today it is strictly obsolete.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Type 92	12.96	730	3460	with pointed FMJ bullet, from machine gun

7.7x58 Type 99

This round was adopted by Japanese army in 1939 (2599 per Japanese calendar then in use) as an improved version of the earlier 7.7mm Type 92 round. The Type 99 round was intended for use in both rifles and machine gun, and differend from Type 92 by having a rimless case and a slightly lighter bullet. No weapons for this round were made after the end of WW2, and today it is strictly obsolete.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Type 99	11.6	760	3360	with pointed FMJ bullet, from rifle barrel

7.92x57 Mauser

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This is one of the most sucessful European rifle rounds. Originally adopted by German army in 1888 and loaded with round-nose bullet, it was later upgraded with introduction of the pointed (Spitzer) bullet of slightly different diameter, and served with German military through both World wars. It was also a standard round with other European armies, most notably Czechoslovak, Polish, Portuguese, Yugoslavian and few others. While in most countries this round is long obsolete as a military loading, it is still quite popular as a hunting round, and many countries still produce both rifles and ammunition in this caliber.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	14.6	637	2975	with round-nose FMJ bullet
S	9.98	854	3640	with standard pointed FMJ bullet
sS	12.8	808	4190	with heavy pointed FMJ bullet

8x50R Steyr

This round was originally adopted by Austro-Hungarian empire in 1888, loaded with black powder and round-nose bullet. In 1890 it was converted to smokeless powder, and after that it served with Austro-Hungarian empire until its demise in 1918, and after all with Austran, Hungarian and some other armies. It became obsolete by the start of WW2, and no weapons were made for this cartridge since about 1930.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
	15.8	530	2220	black-powder load, with round-nose FMJ bullet
	15.8	620	3045	smokeless load, with round-nose FMJ bullet

8x50R Lebel

This was the world's first small-bore (as per late 19th century standards) military round that was loaded with smokeless powder. Adopted by French army in 1886, it served as a primary rifle and machine gun round in French army until mid-1930s, and for much longer period in French colonies. It was used in bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles and some machine guns, all of French origins. Today this round is completely obsolete.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Balle M	15	632	2995	with round-nose FMJ bullet
Balle D	12.7	725	3350	with pointed boat-tailed FMJ bullet, made of solid brass
Balle N	15	690	3570	with pointed boat-tailed FMJ bullet, for Hotchkiss machine guns

8x56R M30 Steyr

This round was developed in Austria in late 1920s to improve performance of the obsolete 8x50R Steyr round. It was adopted by Austrian army in 1930 and by Hungarian army in 1931, and served until the end of the WW2. Today this round is obsolete.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
M30	13.3	715	3400	with pointed FMJ bullet

8x59 M35 Breda

This round was developed during early 1930s on request from Italian army, as a dedicated medium machine gun ammunition, to provide longer effective range and better lethality when compatred to 6.5mm and 7.35mm rifle ammunition. Only few models of machine guns were developed or converted from earlier systems to fire this cartridge, and it never was chambered in any type of rifle (at least, no mass-produced rifles in this caliber exist). It became obsolete shortly after the WW2, and is long out of production.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
M35	13.5	770	4000	with pointed FMJ bullet

8x63 M32 Bofors

This round was developed during early 1930s on request from Swedish army, as a dedicated medium machine gun ammunition, to provide longer effective range and better lethality when compatred to 6.5mmrifle ammunition. It was chambered in Browning-type machine guns, and in one type of bolt-action rifle, which was issued to machine gun crews. This round was declared obsolete and finally removed from Swedish service by late 1980s or so.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
m/32	14.1	750	3980	with pointed FMJ bullet

.338 Lapua Magnum / 8.58x71

This cartridge is a purpose-designed round for long-range sniper shooting. It started its life as experimental .338/416 round, developed in around 1983 in USA by Research Armament Industries. It was based on the .416 Rigby case, necked down to .338 caliber and loaded with low-drag bullet. In 1984 RAI contracted finnish company Lapua to make production ammunition, and it soon caught up as a long-range sniper round with effective range against human targets being up to 1500 meters. Today this round is widely used in long range sniping role b military and law enforcement agencies worldwide, with many rifles being bulit for it (not surprisingly, most are bolt-action repeaters). There also few long-range target and hunting rifles in this caliber. Ammunition in this caliber is manufactured in several countries and wildey available, although expensive.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
Swiss P Tactical	16.2	860	5990	with solid tombak FMJ boat-tailed bullet
Swiss P AP	16.8	830	5790	with armor-piercing bullet
Sierra MK	19.44	826	6535	with commerical long-range boat-tailed bullet

9.3x64 (9SN)

This is a specialised 'medium-heavy' sniper rifle round, recently developed in Russia to fill the gap between 7.62mm sniper and 12.7mm anti-material rifles. It is based on the old and proven 9.3x64 Brenneke hunting cartridge, and is loaded with jacketed, semi-armor piercing bullet to provide certain anti-materiel effect and defeat body armor at ranges up to 600 meters. Despite its dimensions, it is no match to .338 Lapua Magnum in accuracy and long range. So far only one weapon was observed firing this cartrdge, the semi-automatic SVD-K rifle, also of Russian origin.

Designation	Bullet weight, g	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Muzzle energy, J	Comments
7N33	16.6	770	4920	with pointed boat-tailed FMJ bullet with steel core